Leah grew up on the Northern Beaches in Sydney and relocated to Northern NSW in 2008. Growing up she always pursued the arts, studying fashion design at East Sydney College and working as a designer in the fashion industry.  Moving away from fashion and seeking a connection to the fine arts, in 1998 Leah completed a Diploma of Fine Arts in Sydney alongside a Certificate in Ceramics at Brookvale TAFE.

In 2014 she successfully completed a Bachelor of Visual Arts at Southern Cross University and has since been selected in a number of group shows including a group exhibition at Watters Gallery, East Sydney 2016. She was also selected to be an associated artist at Scott Livesey Galleries Victoria 2017. Since her completion, she has also had five Solo exhibitions while taking part in many more group exhibitions in different galleries in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.

Leah has been selected as a finalist in many prominent contemporary art shows around Australia, such as the Paddington Art Prize, The John Leslie Art Prize, The Calleen Art Award and The John Glover Art Prize in 2020 and 2022.  She has also received a highly commended at the prestigious Natural Science Art Award in 2014 and in the Gosford Art Award 2017.

She continues to paint and explore abstraction and the emotional gravity of place in her studio which is situated on the water’s edge in Northern NSW.  Her work is a constant investigation about capturing the pulse and rawness of the land she is immersed within.

Education

2014           Bachelor of Visual Art - SCU - Painting major

1997           Diploma of Fine Arts - Seaforth TAFE (Sydney)                              

1996           Certificate in Studio Ceramics – Brookvale TAFE (Sydney)   

Exhibition

2023    Bloom- Solo- Lethbridge Gallery- Brisbane

2022    Calleen Art Award- finalist - Cowra Regional Gallery

2022    20000 Small Scale Art Award- Finalist- Brisbane

2022    Lethbridge Landscape Art prize- Finalist – Brisbane

2022    Walcha Gallery- joint exhibition- NSW

2022    “Melbourne Art Fair 22” -Flinders Lane Gallery- Melbourne

2022    “Summer Show” – Lethbridge Gallery- Brisbane

2022    “Rhythms of the Monaro”- Wagner Gallery- Group- Sydney

2021     Despard Summer show- Group- Hobart

2021     Grounded- Solo- Despard gallery- Hobart

2021     Broadwater- Solo- Flinders Lane gallery- Melbourne

2021     Muswellbrook Art Prize- Finalist- Muswellbrook Regional Gallery

2020     Despard Summer show- Despard Gallery- Hobart- GROUP

2020     John Leslie Art Prize- Finalist- Gippsland Art Gallery- Melbourne

2020     Afternoon light - Lethbridge Gallery- Solo- Brisbane

2020     Abstract- Despard Gallery- Joint exhibition - Hobart

2020     Live in art - invitation art prize- Finalist- Sydney

2020     John Villiers Art Prize- Finalist – QLD

2020     Glover Art Prize- Finalist- Tasmania

2019     30 x 30 – Flinders Lane Gallery- Melbourne- GROUP

2019     My Backyard – Rochfort Gallery – Sydney- GROUP

2019     20/20 -Sothern Cross University- Exhibition of excellence-Gold Coast

2019     Clayton UTZ Art Prize- Finalist- Brisbane

2019     Gosford Art Prize- Finalist- Gosford Regional Gallery

2019     Calleen Art Prize- Finalist- Cowra Regional Gallery

2019     “Ebb & Flow” – Lethbridge Gallery- Brisbane- SOLO

2019     “Girt by sea”- Rochfort gallery- Sydney - GROUP

2018     John Leslie Art Prize – Gippsland Art Gallery- Victoria

2018     Drawn in – Wooloongabba Art Gallery- BRISBANE- GROUP

2018     Pro Hart outback art prize- Finalist -Broken Hill

2018    “Pigments at play”- Rochfort Gallery- Sydney- GROUP

2018    “Paint” -Saltcontemporary- Victoria- GROUP

2018    “The spirit of place”- Boom Gallery-Victoria- SOLO

2018    “ESSENSE”- ARO Gallery- Sydney-

2018    “Land and Sea”- Rochfort Gallery- North Sydney- GROUP

2018    “Summer Series” - Saltcontemporary Gallery- Victoria- GROUP

2017    Gosford Art Prize- Gosford Regional Gallery- COMMENDED

2017    Terra Firma- Boom Gallery- Victoria- GROUP

2017    Dirt Music- Lethbridge gallery- SOLO

2017    Associated Artist- Scott Livesey Galleries- Victoria

2016    The Paddington Art Prize- Sydney

2016    Redland Art Awards – Redland art gallery – Cleveland

2016    John Leslie Art Prize- Gippsland art gallery- Victoria

2016    Depot Gallery- #asociallandscape- Waterloo Sydney- GROUP

2016    Woollongabba Art Gallery- 23rd Degree- Brisbane - GROUP

2016    Calleen Art Award – Cowra Regional Gallery

2016    Watters Gallery - Sydney – Group

2016    “Immersion”- Lethbridge gallery-Brisbane – SOLO

2015    Calleen Art Award – Cowra Regional Gallery

2015    Clayton Utz- Art Prize- Brisbane

2014    The Paddington Art Prize  

2014    Clayton Utz- Art Prize- Brisbane

2014    The Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize – Highly Commended

2014    ‘Undiscovered’ – Lone Goat Gallery Byron Bay – GROUP

2013    Gold Coast Art Prize- Finalist- Gold Coast Gallery

2012     Landscape – School of Art Gallery – ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences

Awards/Grants/ Collections

2020    Arthur & Suzie Roe Collection - Melbourne

2017    Gosford Regional Art Prize- Highly Commended

2014    The Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize - Highly Commended

2013    William Fletcher Foundation Grant

2011    The Kaske Award- Painting 

Commission Enquiry